This study aimed to systematically evaluate the antibiofilm efficacy of curcumin-mediated antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) activated by 450 nm LED light against biofilm formation and mature biofilms of clinically relevant Candida species, with particular emphasis on preventive potential and species-dependent susceptibility; Biofilm formation and maturation were investigated in five standard Candida strains. Biofilm formation (preventive approach) and established biofilms were treated with curcumin followed by irradiation with 450 nm LED light. Biofilm biomass was quantitatively assessed using the crystal violet assay. Comparative analyses were performed to determine species-dependent responses to aPDT. Data normality was assessed using the Shapiro-Wilk test, and intergroup comparisons were performed using the Kruskal-Wallis test followed by Dunn's post hoc test when appropriate. All Candida strains demonstrated a pronounced ability to form biofilms, being classified as strong biofilm producers, except Candida dubliniensis, which exhibited moderate biofilm formation. Curcumin-mediated aPDT significantly inhibited biofilm development across all tested species (p < 0.05), achieving reductions of 86.82% for C. metapsilosis, 85.05% for C. orthopsilosis, 83.33% for C. parapsilosis, 75.34% for C. dubliniensis, and 68.19% for C. albicans. This preventive antibiofilm effect is likely associated with reactive oxygen species generation, resulting in oxidative damage to essential cellular structures and impairment of early extracellular matrix establishment. In contrast, aPDT activity against mature biofilms was significantly attenuated and highly species-dependent, with reductions ranging from 49.63% (C. parapsilosis) to 0.64% (C. dubliniensis); however, these reductions were not statistically significant (p > 0.05). Curcumin-mediated aPDT exerted a significant preventive antibiofilm effect against Candida biofilm formation but showed limited and non-significant activity against mature biofilms. These findings position curcumin-mediated aPDT as a promising strategy for preventing Candida biofilm establishment, while indicating that improved photosensitizer delivery and optimized irradiation protocols are required to enhance activity against established biofilms.

This study evaluated the efficacy of chlorhexidine (CHX) in combination with curcumin-mediated photodynamic therapy (CUR-PDT) against clinical Candida spp. isolates. Seven strains were analyzed, including Candida albicans (Ca2, Ca4, CaATCC 10,231) and Candida krusei (Ck7, Ck8, Ck11, Ck12), previously characterized for their biofilm-forming ability using the crystal violet assay after 48 h of incubation in BHIS medium at 35.5 °C, with an initial inoculum of approximately 1–5 × 10⁵ CFU/mL. Antifungal activity was assessed through the minimum biofilm inhibitory concentration (MBIC₅₀) under both irradiated and non-irradiated conditions using blue LED light at 450 nm (20 and 100 J/cm²). CHX alone exhibited MBIC₅₀ values ranging from 3.71 to 14.84 µM. CUR showed no inhibitory activity in the absence of light, with no measurable MIC or MBIC₅₀ values. Upon irradiation, CUR exhibited MBIC₅₀ values ranging from 4 to 64 µM, depending on the strain and light dose. The combined CHX + CUR treatment under 100 J/cm² irradiation demonstrated a pronounced additive effect, reducing MBIC₅₀ values to 0.625 µM for all strains except Candida albicans Ca2, which required 1.25 µM. This combination achieved biofilm inhibition rates exceeding 90 % (p < 0.05). These findings indicate that CHX combined with CUR-PDT under high-dose irradiation significantly enhances biofilm inhibition in Candida spp., supporting its potential as a promising antifungal strategy for the management of biofilm-associated infections.

The yeast Candida albicans is a normal constituent of the human microbiota with considerable pathogenicity and ability to form microbial biofilms in various anatomical sites, including the oral cavity. Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic widely used against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, fungi, yeasts, and lipophilic viruses. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) have shown potential antiseptic effects against yeasts. In this context, this study aimed to evaluate the activity of chlorhexidine gluconate and silver nanoparticles against Candida albicans ATCC 10231 inoculated on sterilized toothbrushes. Previously inoculated toothbrushes were exposed to the compounds at room temperature for 20 minutes for the initial 1-hour adhesion test, and for 1 hour against mature biofilms cultured for 48 hours at 35.5 °C, then the samples were diluted and plaqueted for the quantification of viable yeasts after treatment. The most significant reduction in yeast viability was observed with the combination of chlorhexidine and AgNPs, with 97.2 % in the initial adherence test and 77.2 % against biofilms. This finding suggests a synergistic effect between the compounds against Candida albicans, with a more pronounced effect against the planktonic state than against mature biofilms.

Aims: To evaluate the fungistatic, fungicidal, and antibiofilm activity of C. longa L. tincture against Candida species. Study Design: Quantitative and mechanistic experimental design using dilution methods to determine the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and the Minimum Candidacidal Concentration (MCC), and specific assays for evaluating the inhibition of biofilm formation and the viability of biofilm-associated cells. Place and Duration of Study: The microorganisms were maintained at the Laboratory of Microbiological Analysis in Health and Environment of the Institute of Tropical Pathology and Public Health at the Federal University of Goiás. The microbiological assays were conducted at the Bioassay Laboratory of the Center for Research and Graduate Studies at the State University of Goiás, and the phytochemical characterization analyses were performed at the Bioproducts and Synthesis Research Laboratory of the State University of Goiás, Anápolis-GO, Brazil, between August 2024 and September 2025. Methodology: The extract was characterized for its curcuminoid profile by HPLC-DAD, and its concentration was determined by rotary evaporation and lyophilization. The MIC and MCC were determined by the broth microdilution method. The action on biofilms was investigated by determining the MBIC50 (concentration that inhibits 50% of the biofilm biomass). Additionally, the viability of yeasts in the biofilm was quantified by CFU counting. Results: We verified that all yeasts form biofilms and that the C. longa L. tincture showed fungistatic activity starting at 45.36 mg∙mL-1 and was fungicidal between 90.72 and 362.88 mg∙mL-1. The tincture reduced biofilm formation variably in the tested yeasts and in a dose-dependent manner with inhibitory concentrations starting at 1.77 mg∙mL-1. Conclusion: The Curcuma longa L. tincture is a promising herbal medicine, being notably more effective at preventing Candida biofilm formation than at eliminating yeasts in suspension, with its superior action attributed to the synergy among its compounds.

Eugenia klotzschiana O.Berg is an endemic species of the Cerrado, threatened with extinction and whose therapeutic potential has yet to be fully elucidated. Few studies have described the antioxidant, antiparasitic and antimicrobial activities of essential oils against microorganisms. This pioneering study evaluated the activity of the hexanolic and ethanolic extracts of its leaves against yeasts of the genus Candida isolated from the oral cavity of healthy individuals. The ethanolic extract was chemically characterized by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. The antifungal activity of the extracts was evaluated using microdilution assays -minimum inhibitory concentration-, minimum candicidal concentration and minimum concentration of biofilm formation. The compounds identified in the ethanolic extract were catechin, epicatechin and rutin. Candida albicans and Candida krusei yeasts were able to form biofilm, with 4 being strong formers, 2 being moderate formers and C. albicans ATCC 10231 being a weak biofilm former. The extracts showed moderate fungistatic activity and low fungicidal activity, depending on the concentration of each extract and the yeast, with growth inhibition between 313 and 1250 μg mL-1. Although the extracts were moderately active against most yeasts, they were able to inhibit biofilm formation by at least 70%. At a concentration of 1250 μg mL-1, they reduced biofilm formation by more than 93% for the biggest biofilm-former, Ck7. The extracts showed potential against the biofilm formation of C. albicans and C. krusei. Studies with E. klotzschiana O.Berg need to be expanded in order to identify potential for drug development.

The objective of this work was to analyze the development of scientific publications on pasture irrigation in the years 2013 to 2023 through scientometrics. Pair searches were carried out in the databases: Web of Science of the Institute for Scientific Training (ISI), Scielo, Science Direct, Springer, PubMed and Scopus to download the data collected from each search platform. To guide the research, the following questions were used: What is the number of publications on pasture irrigation in the last 10 years in the world? The following keywords were used for the research: irrigated grasses and tropical grasses and pasture irrigation, both were searched in Portuguese, English and Spanish. After screening according to the chosen criteria, a total of 296 studies were obtained. The country with the highest number of publications was Brazil and the platform with the highest number of articles was Science Direct. It was observed that there was an increase in the production of works on irrigation, with the most used being sprinkler and center pivot irrigation, showing an increase in forage production.

Chalcones are natural compounds formed by an & alpha;, & beta;-unsaturated carbonyl system that joins two aromatic rings forming the central core of many biologically important compounds. They are the biogenetic precursors of flavonoids and isoflavonoids found abundantly in plants. The chalcone class is of great interest not only from a biosynthetic perspective, but also because due to its broad biological activities. In this sense, the present investigation focuses on the synthesis and characterization of pyrazole compounds derived from chalcones, namely the 1-(5-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-4,5-dihydro-3-p-tolylpyrazol-1-yl)ethenone and 1-(5-(2,6-difluorophenyl)-3-(furan-2-yl)-4,5-dihydropyrazol-1-yl)ethanone. The chalcone precursors were obtained through an aldol condensation reaction with aromatic aldehydes and aromatic ketones by the Claisen-Schmidt condensation. For the pyrazole derivatives synthesis, an easy, safe and effective method was achieved by heating assisted by microwave irradiation reactor, through the reaction of chalcone and hydrazine in acetic acid. The use of microwaves allowed a high yield of the product in a short reaction time. All products, chalcones and pyrazole derivatives, were then characterized by Infrared Resonance (NMR) spectrometry.

Eugenia klotzschiana O.Berg is an endemic plant from the Brazilian Cerrado biome with substantial chemical and genomic diversity. This systematic review aimed to identify the therapeutic applications of the plant in the SciELO, Bireme, LILACS, PubMed/Medline, Web of Science, Google Scholar, and Science Direct bibliographic databases, using the START Program for identifying and selecting studies. Forty-six articles were obtained, of which 42 were excluded, and four were included in the review. The described therapeutic applications were antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, and cytotoxic activities of fruits, flowers, and leaves. The small number of published articles indicates the need for developing studies on the therapeutic potential of E. klotzschiana O. Berg.

Introduction: Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic microorganism frequently isolated in the hospital environment and has been classified by the World Health Organization as a critical pathogen due to its resistance to antibiotics and its varied virulence factors. Objective: To evaluate biofilm formation and the expression of virulence factors of 30 clinical isolates and 2 standard strains of P. aeruginosa. In addition, this work aims to analyze the distribution of virulence factors in the different categories of biofilm formation. Methodology: Biofilm formation assays were performed in polystyrene microplate with crystal violet coloring and the strains were classified in groups. Other virulence factors were studied with specific phenotypic detection methods. Results: All P. aeruginosa were able to form biofilms, with 46.9% classified as strong formers, 25% as moderate and 28.12% as weak biofilm formers. Most isolates expressed the virulence factors analyzed and among them, pyoverdine was the most prevalent, followed by the production of lipases B, hemolysin, and protease. Lipases A showed the lowest incidence. Conclusion: Although no significant correlation was detected between biofilm formation of P. aeruginosa clinical isolates and virulence factors, it was observed that in the strong formers group there was expression of alkaline protease and lipases B in all strains. The results suggest that the pathogenicity of P. aeruginosa is a multifactorial phenomenon and that virulence factors, although present in most isolates, occur independently of the biofilm formation category of the studied strains.

Rifampicin has broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, but it can cause nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic damage because high doses are required. Nanosystems emerge as a perspective to improve the transport systems of this drug. In this work, iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesised, functionalized with lauric acid, and rifampicin was incorporated into the nanosystem. The samples were characterized by spectroscopic techniques: electronics in the visible ultraviolet region (UV-vis), vibrational absorption in the infrared region (IR), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and dynamic light scattering (DSL). The toxicity of the nanocompounds and the antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 were studied by the Artemia salina lethality and disc diffusion techniques, respectively. As a result, IR analysis showed characteristic vibrations of laurate and rifampicin on the surface of the nanosystem. The presence of magnetic iron oxide was confirmed by XRD and the mean diameter of the crystallites was 8.37 nm. The hydrodynamic diameter of rifampicin associated with the nanosystem was 402 nm and that of the nanosystem without rifampicin was 57 nm. The compounds did not show toxicity to Artemia salina and the in vitro antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus aureus was slightly decreased when rifampicin was associated with the nanosystem. In general terms, the results showed that iron oxide nanoparticles showed no toxicity and reduced the toxicity of rifampicin by 41.54% when carried compared to free rifampicin. Therefore, magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles may have the potential to act as a platform for associated drugs.

ABSTRACT Rice production in Brazil incurs high costs due to the significant use of agrochemicals. Some plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) can be used as alternative to fertilizers and phytosanitary products. Thus, the objective of this study was to characterize endophytic bacteria isolated from roots of rice plants. The isolates were characterized based on colony morphology, antibiotic resistance, carbon sources utilization, enzyme activity (catalase, amylase, protease, cellulase, and lipase), inorganic phosphate solubilization, and the 16S-23S rDNA intergenic region. Morphologically, 68% of the isolates presented a rapid growth rate, 46% presented abundant mucus production, and 77% formed viscous colonies. All isolates were resistant to nalidixic acid and 16% presented resistance to streptomycin. The majority (90%) used monosaccharides and disaccharides in carbon source assays. Most of the isolates (95%) were positive for catalase and 63.6% were positive for amylase, protease, lipase, and cellulase activities. Additionally, 59% of them were able to solubilize phosphate. The mean enzymatic index for amylase, cellulase, and protease was 2.8, 3.5, and 1.7 respectively. The similarity analysis revealed high diversity among the isolates, with similarity indices of 70% (based on morphological characteristics) and 60% (based on the intergenic region 16S-23S rDNA). Considering morphophysiological and genotypic characteristics, three promising isolates should be evaluated in studies under field conditions for the potential development of bioproducts to replace industrially manufactured inputs in rice crops.

The use of natural systems such as wetlands constructed in the treatment of wastewater has become increasingly important due the ability of these systems to remove large amounts of macronutrients and microorganisms and to promote the degradation of organic matter. Given this background, the main objective of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of an experimental constructed wetland horizontal flow system subsurface cultivated with Zantedeschia aethiopica filled with sand and gravel substrates. The parameters were evaluated by the characterization of physicochemical and microbiological indicators of wastewater from the septic tank of the State University of Goiás in Anápolis city, Goiás, Brazil. The reductions of macronutrients ranged from 57.9 to 94.7%, and 87.0 to 91.0% for organic matter. In addition, a significant reduction in coliform levels in wastewater was observed after wetland treatment. It was concluded that the constructed wetland system could be proposed to treat wastewater from septic tanks at both secondary and tertiary levels, due to its high percentage efficiency in the removal of organic matter and macronutrients. The results obtained demonstrated the applicability of the studied system to be used as a versatile, sustainable, and economical treatment of effluents complementary to the septic tank treatment system.

Medical-device-related infections are considered a worldwide public health problem. In particular, urinary catheters are responsible for 75% of cases of hospital urinary infections (a mortality rate of 2.3%) and present a high cost for public and private health systems. Some actions have been performed and described aiming to avoid it, including clinical guidelines for catheterization procedure, antibiotic prophylaxis, and use of antimicrobial coated-urinary catheters. In this review paper, we present and discuss the functionalization of urinary catheters surfaces with antimicrobial entities (e.g., photosensitizers, antibiotics, polymers, silver salts, oxides, bacteriophage, and enzymes) highlighting the immobilization of photosensitizing molecules for antimicrobial photodynamic applications. Moreover, the characterization techniques and (photo)antimicrobial effects of the coated-urinary catheters are described and discussed. We highlight the most significant examples in the last decade (2011–2021) concerning the antimicrobial coated-urinary catheter and their potential use, limitations, and future perspectives.

A formação de biofilme microbiano tem um papel fundamental nas relações entre plantas e bactérias, principalmente na rizosfera.Este trabalho avaliou o desempenho de três meios de cultura distintos (RDM -Rhizobium defined medium, YM -yeast manitol e CB -caldo batata) na formação de biofilme por 15 rizobactérias isoladas de nódulos das raízes de arroz de sequeiro (Oryza sativa) cultivado no Cerrado goiano.Todas as rizobactérias foram capazes de formar biofilmes nos meios de cultura testados.Os índices de formação de biofilme (IFB) mais altos foram detectados para a rizobactéria R134 (37,18±1,79) no meio YM e para R58 nos meios RDM (33,21±0,44) e YM (33,77±1,11).Os IFB mais baixos foram detectados em CB para BR322 (3,44±1,14) e R5 (6,10±0,56).As rizobactérias com a maior porcentagem de leitura da viabilidade das células associadas aos biofilmes foram R82 (77,41±0,79) em RDM, BR522 (76,85±0,59) no CB, R127 (75,07±0,50) em meio YM e R31 (74,74±1,09) em CB e as menores leituras foram para R132 e R125a em todos os meios e para R59 em cb.Na análise entre os meios CB e YM, constatou-se que diferenças significativas para os parâmetros de biomassa total (BMT) (P = 0,0125) e crescimento celular (P = 0,0001), sendo o meio CB mais efetivo nestas duas avaliações.O meio YM proporcionou o desenvolvimento de biofilmes bacterianos com altos índices de células viáveis e de matriz polimérica extracelular.

Ruthenium(II)/benzonitrile complexes have demonstrated promising anticancer properties. Considering that there are no specific therapies for treating sarcoma, we decided to evaluate the cytotoxic, genotoxic, and lethal effects of cis-[RuCl(BzCN)(phen)(dppb)]PF6 (BzCN = benzonitrile; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; dppb = 1,4-bis-(diphenylphosphino)butane), as well as the mechanism of cell death induction that occurs against murine sarcoma-180 tumor. Thus, MTT assay was applied to assess the ruthenium cytotoxicity, showing that the compound is a more potent inhibitor for the sarcoma-180 tumor cell viability than normal cells (lymphocytes). The comet assay indicated low genotoxic for normal cells. cis-[RuCl(BzCN)(phen)(dppb)]PF6 also showed moderate lethality in Artemia salina. The complex induced cell cycle arrest in the G0/G1 phase in sarcoma-180 cells. In addition, the complex caused S180 cells to die by apoptosis by an increase in Annexin-V-positive cells and morphological changes typical of apoptotic cells. Additionally, cis-[RuCl(BzCN)(phen)(dppb)]PF6 increased the gene expression of Bax, Casp3, and Tp53 in S180 cells. By using a western blot, we observed an increased protein level of TNF-R2, Bax, and p21. In conclusion, cis-[RuCl(BzCN)(phen)(dppb)]PF6 is active and selective for sarcoma-180 cells, leading to cell cycle arrest at the G0/G1 and cell death through a caspases-mediated and Tp53/p21-mediated pathway.

A formação de biofilme por Pseudomonas aeruginosa propicia o aumento da patogenicidade e resistência desse micro-organismo a condições adversas.Na forma séssil, a P. aeruginosa pode ser resistente a concentrações inibitórias 100 vezes maiores do que quando crescendo na forma planctônica.Este trabalho teve como objetivo estudar a formação de biofilmes por P. aeruginosa em microplacas de poliestireno nos meios de cultura de caldo de Soja Tripticaseína (TSB) e Água Peptonada (AP) com incubações de 24 e 48 horas para a quantificação da biomassa total formada pelo método do cristal violeta.Foram utilizadas cepas-padrão de P. aeruginosa American Type Culture Collection (ATCC 9027 e ATCC 27853) e um isolado de fígado de frango comercial.Os resultados permitiram a otimização da técnica por meio da determinação que as melhores condições para formação de biofilme ocorreram em caldo mais nutritivo (TSB) com o tempo de incubação de 24h para as cepas-padrão, enquanto que o isolado de fígado de frango

ABSTRACT The number of studies on plant compounds with insecticidal activity has increased in recent years, and one of the primary targets of these compounds is leaf-cutter ants, which are considered the most important pests in Brazilian plantations, especially ants of the genus Atta. The objective of this study was to evaluate the toxic activity of the crude extract and fractions of the leaves of Esenbeckia pumila Pohl (Rutaceae) on Artemia salina and Atta sexdens rubropilosa and to perform a phytochemical study of this plant species. The toxicity of the extract and fractions was evaluated by determining the mean lethal concentration (LC50) on A. salina. The insecticidal activity was evaluated by feeding the ants an artificial diet containing the crude extract or fractions, and the results were analyzed using the log-rank test. The substances were isolated by chromatography, and the molecular structure was determined by spectroscopy. In the bioassay with A. salina, the ethanol extract and dichloromethane and ethyl acetate fractions were highly toxic. The analysis of survival curves indicated that the mortality rate of A. sexdens rubropilosa workers fed different fractions was higher than that of ants fed the control diet, especially the ethyl acetate fraction, with a mean survival time of 3 days and cumulative mortality of 100% on day 21 (p<0.05). The phytochemical study of this plant species allowed isolating the flavonoid rutin and a mixture of the triterpenes α-amyrin, β-amyrin, and lupeol. These results suggest the insecticidal potential of E. pumila on Atta sexdens rubropilosa.

A Pseudomonas aeruginosa é um microrganismo comumente presente em efluentes de origem hospitalar, pois é um patógeno nosocomial, causador de infecções de difícil tratamento. A prata possui propriedades antimicrobianas conhecidas, sendo empregada juntamente com carvão ativado em filtros domésticos. Foram portanto, desenvolvidos filtros com amostras de carvão ativado de casca de coco de dendê (Elaeis guineensis) impregnadas com prata, que posteriormente filtraram soluções contendo o microrganismo de estudo. Após incubação, as colônias foram contadas e determinadas (UFC/mL), revelando que a amostra com maior concentração do metal melhor inibiu o crescimento da bactéria, apresentando atividade bacteriostática, e confirmando seu papel fundamental.

Derivatives of the thiazolidine-2,4-dione core represent a heterocyclic class with several correlated properties. In this context, the synthesis of structural analogues of these bioactive substances becomes attractive in the field of medicinal chemistry. These analogues act as antimicrobial agents against Gram-positives pathogens. The present work aimed to synthesize 10 different derivatives of 5-arylidene-thiazolidine-2,4-dione, employing urea as the catalyst in a solvent-free reaction medium, with yields that ranged from 45 to 99%. The compounds obtained were submitted to an antimicrobial assay against S. aureus ATCC 29213. Two compounds presented minimum inhibitory concentration of 62.5 and 32.5 mu g mL(-1) and minimum bactericidal concentration < 500 mu gL(-1) demonstrating their antibacterial potential. Principal component analysis was carried out to discriminate the compounds in active and inactive classes. Four geometric and electronic molecular descriptors were required to completely discriminate the compounds. The selected descriptors can guide us in designing new 5-arylidene-thiazolidine-2,4-dione derivatives with enhanced activity.